Vehicle construction.



No. 870,287. PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

G. J. HARRIS. VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1906.

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PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

C. J. HARRIS.

VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION TILED 1mm. 1906.

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PATENT @FFICE.

CHARLES J. HARRIS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed November 5.1906. Serial No. 341,966.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CnaRLns J. Hannrs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fair-field and State ofConnecticut, have invented an Improvement in Vehicle Construction, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

My invention relates to vehicle construction, having for its object moreparticularly the provision of one or more collapsible seats inconjunction with a carriage body, such as the body of an automobile.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying illustration ofone specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of an automobilebody showing one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame vehicle partially broken away. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on anenlarged scale, showing the seat illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in itscollapsed state. Fig. 4 is a plan view and Fig. 5 an elevation, thelatter partially in section, showing the bracket plate. Fig. 6 is a planand Fig. 7 an elevation of the seat bracket. Fig. 8 is a plan, partiallybroken away, of the collapsible foot rest, and

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated one form of my inventionas applied to an automobile body of the side-entrance, tonneau, type,although, as will be understood, the invention is neither limited to theform or construction of seat shown nor to its application to automobileor carriage bodies or bodies of this particular form or construction.

In the present instance I have provided an auxiliary seat (of whichthere may be several) which may be used for increasing temporarily theseating capacity of the vehicle. This seat is not only collapsible andmay be stored in a suitable storage space within the vehicle, but, whenso stored leaves no objectionable evidences of its existence, such, forexample, as projecting brackets or the like. Nevertheless, in theillustrated form, it provides a comfortable, convenient as well as astrong and durable, seat when placed in position.

As shown in the drawings, the seat itself comprises a suitablyupholstered circular bottom portion a to which is attached theupholstered back a, the latter being carried upon a pair of arms ahinged at a to the seat bottom so that the back may be folded over uponthe bottom as shown in Fig. 3, or swung upward into an upright positionat substantially right angles thereto, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 Theunder side of the seat bottom is provided with a depending lug a, havingfiat sides upon which is swiveled the forked end a of the supporting rodor leg a which latter for the collapse of the seat, may be swung upwardinto the position shown in Fig. 3.

When the seat is placed in position the supporting rod is swungdownwardly at right angles to the seat bottom and insertcdvthrough anaperture in the suitably positioned bracket b, which acts to hold andsupport the seat rod closely adjacent the seat bottom (Figs. 1 and 2).The rod has a lower reduced end a Which fits and enters a lower socketplate a in the bottom or floor of the vehicle body so that, when inposition, the seat is very rigidly held and yet may be swung about thesupporting rod, as upon a pivot, to permit the person occupying .theseat to face any desired direction. As shown in the drawings the seat isplaced directly in front of the reartonneau seat of the vehicle and insuch fashion that the convenience and comfort of the users of the rearseat is not affected.

The underlying bracket 1) is provided with a pair of laterally arrangedand diverging supporting arms I) and b and, in order to permit theremoval of all projecting seat parts when the seat is removed andstored, this bracket is removably secured in an upper fixed socket platea the latter unobtrusively fixed upon the side of the carriage body.This socket plate 0 (Figs. 4 and 5) has a straight slot 0 and a curvedslot 0 the former being adapted to receive the straight tip of thelateral arm b, and the latter the curved tip of the arm b on the bracket1). The socket plate is riveted to the underlying base plate 0 and theentire structure bolted or otherwise secured to any suitable sideportion or side frame member of the carriage body, the upright lug 0being also provided in the present instance to more securely hold thesocket plate in place.

When the bracket is placed in position the curved arm b is firstinserted in the socket slot 0 and the bracket then swung into place byinserting the straight arm in its socket c. To retain the straightbracket arm in place there is provided over the socket opening 0 thespring-pressed latch pin 0 having a lifting head 0 When the bracket armenters the socket the pin snaps into an opening 12 in the same, lockingthe bracket in place. To remove the bracket the latter is firstunlatched by lifting the latch pin 0 If desired, even the socket platemay be so enveloped in upholstery that its presence will to the ordinaryobserver remain unnoticed.

While a collapsible seat of the type described may be employed withoutany special foot-rest, I have herein also provided a collapsiblefoot-rest which may be used to cooperate with the described seat,although the foot-rest has features of novelty making it applicable toseats of usual construction and to bodies of other form than shown inthe drawings, so that the invention, as it relates to the saidfoot-rest, is not limited to the particular application here made of thesame. For this purpose there is provided at each sill of the carriagebody a notched plate d (Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 9) having two sets of notcheswith which there may be engaged the lugs or pins (2 and d provided uponthe lower ends of the supporting links d and d respectively. The twoopposite links d have to hold between them the foot-board rest d and arehinged at their upper or opposite ends to the cross rod d, the links (1being also connected by the cross brace (1 It therefore follows that thefoot rest may be set up as shown in Figs. 2 and 9, with the foot-boardpresented to the user of the collapsible seat. By placing the lug indifferent notches both the position and angle of the foot-rest may bechanged so that it may not only be inclined as the comfort of the userdirects,

but may be laid fiat on the floor while still engaging the notchedplates and by them firmly held. When the seat is folded up Hat andstored, the hinged loot-rest may also be removed from the notched platesand placed out of sight with the seat, leaving therefore no ro'ectin orvisible arts remainin The lugs enter the undercut portions of thenotches, as shown through the narrow contracted openings, so that whenthe rest is in use each lug is pressed into the undercut portion of itsnotch and effectually held against escape or displacement by jolting.This effect, that is to say, the firmness with. which the rest ismaintained in position is further increased by inclining the undercutportion of each set of openings or notches slightly downward toward thenearest end of the plate d so that the lugs tend to settle into thedepressed ends of the notches and upon and against the adjacent floorcovering, thus avoiding the natural tendency to rattling when footpressure is placed on the rest.

While the seat and the auxiliary parts may be stored in any convenientplace, in the present instance there is provided a storage compartment eimmediately beneath the front seat B of the vehicle, this compartmentbeing reached through the removable or hinged cover 6. l

While I have shown and described one form of my invention and haveillustrated the same in detail, it is to be understood that thisinvention is not limited to the form or relative arrangement orconstruction of the parts described, or to the application of theinvention here made, but that extensive modifications may be made in theillustrated embodiment of the invention without departing from thespirit thereof.

Claims.

1. An automobile having a body of the tonneau type and provided with acollapsible seat construction, the same comprising a seat bottom havinga hinged back and a centrally hinged supporting rod, an underlyingbracket adjacent the seat bottom and through which said rod passes, saidbracket having laterally diverging arms, one provided with a straightend and the other with a curved end. a socket at the floor of the bodyfor receiving the lower portion of the supporting rod, :1 socket platesecured to a side member oi the vehicle body, said socket platecomprising a curved socket and a straight socket in which the curved andstraight ended arms of the bracket respectively are removably .securedand a spring pressed latching pin for retaining the straight ended armin its socket.

2. An automobile having a body of the tonneau type and provided with acollapsible seat construction, the same comprising a seat bottom havinga hinged back and a centrally hinged supporting rod, an underlyingbracket adjacent the seat bottom and through which said rod passes, saidbracket having laterally diverging arms, one provided with a straightend and the other with a curved end. a socket at the floor of the bodyfor receiving the lower portion of the Supporting rod, and a socketplate secured to a side member of the vehicle body, said socket platecomprising a curved socket and a straight socket in which the curved andstraight ended arms of the bracket respectively are removably secured.

Ii. An automobile having a body of the tonneau type and provided'with aremovable and collapsible seat construction, the same comprising a seatbottom having a hinged back and a centrally hinged supporting rod, anunderlying bracket adjacent the seat bottom and through which said rodpasses, for removably securing said seat bottom upon said bracket saidbracket having laterally diverging arms, one provided with a straightend and the other with a curved end, a socket at the floor of the bodyfor receiving the lower portion of the supportingrod, a socket platesecured to a side member of the vehicle body, said socket platecomprising a curved socket and a straight socket in which the curved andstraight ended arms of the bracket respectively are removably secured.

-l.-An automobile having a body of the tonneau type and provided with acollapsible seat construction, the same comprising a seat bottom havinga hinged back and a centrallyhinged supporting rod, an underlyingbracket adjacent the seat bottom and through which said rod passes, saidbracket having laterally diverging arms, one

' provided with a straight end and the other with a curved end. a socketat the floor of the body for receiving the lower portion of thesupporting rod, a socket plate secured to a side member of the vehiclebody, said socket plate comprising a curved socket and-a straight socketin which the curved and straight ended arms of the bracket re spectlvelyare removably secured and a foot-rest to coiipcrate with saidcollapsible seat having means to permit of its adjustment towards andfrom the latter.

5. A carriage body provided with a collapsible seat construction, thesame. comprising a seat bottom having a hinged back and a hingedsupporting rod, an underlying bracket adjacent the seat bottom, in whichbracket the rod is removably held and supported, means for removablysupporting the bracket upon the carriage body, and a socket at thecarriage floor for receiving the end of the seat supporting arm.

6. A carriage body having a removable seat comprising a seat bottom, afolding back, a folding leg and removable bracket to hold the leg nearthe seat bottom, and means also to hold the leg near its lower end.

7. A carriage body of the tonneau type having a main seat, a collapsibleand removable seat mounted at one side of the tonneau and in front ofthe main seat, a foot-rest adjustably mounted upon the floor of thetonnean body for movement towards or from said removable seat, and themeans for supporting said seat comprising removable bracket to hold theseat in place,

8. A carriage body having a seat, a depending leg, a bracket forremovably holding the leg, said bracket having diverging laterallyextending arms, and a socket plate in which the arms are removablysecured.

, 9. A carriage body having a collapsible auxiliary seat and a removableseat 'holder, said seat and holder having cooperating disengageablemembers for retaining said seat in seating position and to permit itsready removal from said holder.

10. A carriage body provided with a main seat, a removable seat havingmeans for supporting it in front of the main seat and at the side ofsaid carriage, an adjustable foot rest, supported adjacent the door ofsaid carriage body and in front of said seats and comprising a pair 01notched plates each mounted at one side of the floor of said carriagefor supporting said foot rest, said foot rest comprising collapsiblejointed members having means for temporarily engaging the notches ofsaid plates.

11. An automobile body of the tonneau type having front and rear seatsand a collapsible auxiliary seat and foot rest means arranged in thespace between said seats provided with means for respectively securingthe same upon the side and floor of said body and to permit theirconvenient removal.

12. A carriage body provided with a collapsible seat comprising a bottomor seat member, a hinged back and a folding leg, and supporting means inwhich said leg is swiveled.

13. An automobile having a body of the tonneau type, a removablecollapsible seat, means including a socket plate and a disengageableseat supporting bracket for placing the seat in position in front of therear seat of the tonneau.

14. An automobile body having a removable collapsible auxiliary seat, aremovable projecting seat holding member for maintaining the seat inposition, and a support on the carriage body provided with latchingmeans for re movably securing said holding member thereto.

15. An automobile body having a fixed support 0 secured thereto, aremovable seat supporting bracket I) having means for readily applyingit to and supporting it from and permitting it to be readily removedfrom said fixed support, and an auxiliary seat a, said seat and brackethaving cooperating portions for retaining said seat in seating positionupon said bracket and for permitting its ready removal from saidbracket.

16. An automobile body having a fixed support 0 secured thereto aremovable seat supporting bracket I) having means for readily applyingit to and supporting it from and permitting it to be readily removedfrom said fixed support. and an auxiliary seat a, said seat having a rod(1 for retaining said seat in seating position upon said bracket and forpermitting its ready removal from said bracket.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. HARRIS.

Witnesses E. F. RUSSELL, .T. R. S'rmn.

